Top 10 Best Stand Up Paddle Boards of 2017 Reviewed

Welcome to the land of paddle boarding! Whether you’re just starting out and looking to purchase your first very own SUP or you’re a seasoned professional looking to grab a new board, you’re in the right spot. By the way, if you’re new to the paddleboard world, SUP is an acronym for stand up paddle.

If you’ve done any research at all, I am sure you have certainly realized that there are several different brands of paddle boards out there. This obviously makes the decision that much harder on deciding exactly which brand you should go with and even which type. Don’t worry I am here to help! To start, here is a quick and brief description of the top 10 stand up paddle board brands that you should definitely know about.

Tower Paddle Boards

Tower Paddle Boards were actually made famous from the ABC television series called Shark Tank and has since grown to be one largest SUP manufacturer out there.

Tower Paddle Boards offers a number of fantastically priced SUP boards in all different shapes, sizes and types. Tower Paddle Boards is able to deliver these great pricing by skipping the corporate markup and getting the board directly to you.

Just because their prices are significantly lower than most other leading manufactures does not mean the quality is lower. If you’re in the market for a SUP, I would start with Tower Paddle Boards.

Starboard SUP

Starboard has definitely established themselves as one of the leading manufactures of premium high quality paddle boards. Since 1993, Starboard has been producing innovative products that have made them a pioneer in the surf and paddle board world.

One of these innovations include a Carbon Sandwich technology that offers a lightweight but strong result. Starboard SUP offers nearly every type of stand up paddle board made including SUP surf, SUP race, iSUP or inflatable SUP, kids SUP, windup and more! If you’re looking for a premium paddle board, Starboard will deliver.

Fanatic SUP

Fanatic has been around since 1981 developing, designing and innovating new boards. In addition to the Fanatic SUP board, Fanatic also designs premium quality surf boards as well as windsurf boards.

The SUP side of fanatic is vast, unique and creative offering a variety of inflatable SUPs paddle boards for racing, all around, river sups, touring, kids sups as well as a specialty line of paddleboards, which includes a huge 7 person inflatable paddle board! Fanatic paddle boards pushes community and lifestyle and isn’t hoping to just sell you a board and send you on your way, once you own a Fanatic SUP you’re part of the team.

Bic SUP

BIC not only makes great ink pens, they also make a large variety of water sport boards. In fact, they are the words leading manufacturer of windsurf boards for over 20 years. They produce over 65,000 different products every year from their production facility in France.

BIC currently manufactures surfboards, kayaks, boats, windsurf boards and of course a great variety of SUP boards, which is what you’re here for right!? If you’re looking for a respected and reliable brand name paddle board, you might want to consider a Bic SUP.

Red Paddle Co

Red Paddle Co specializes in the design and manufacturing of high quality inflatable paddle boards or iSUP. Plenty of serious paddle boarders will not even consider going the inflatable route because of numerous reasons.

Well, Red Paddle is here to oust those assumptions and deliver an incredible product that’s extremely portable but still rigid when inflated.

Whether you’re into white water paddle boarding, SUP surfing, SUP racing, or are just wanting an all around board for leisure, Red Paddle Co has got you covered. If you’re looking for a premium inflatable paddle board that offers the best rigidity, make sure to check out Red Paddle Co.

Boga SUP

Boga Paddle & Surf Co manufactures a diverse variety of SUP boards for nearly any use. This includes SUP surf, SUP race, SUP touring, all around SUP as well as inflatable SUP options.

They also offer fitness and yoga SUPs, which seems to be one of their main focuses. They have developed an iSUP board called BOGA YOGA, which is specifically designed for yoga on water. In addition to the boga yoga, they have also developed a network of floating yoga studios around the world.

If SUP yoga or SUP fitness is right down your alley, check out Boga SUP!

Yolo Board

By now, hopefully everyone on this planet knows what the motto “YOLO” means. If you’re not quite sure, it’s an acronym for “you only live once”.

Yolo Board insists that that you only live once so why not have fun? A good place to start is a paddle board from Yolo Board. I

n 2007, Yolo board was formed in Santa Rosa Beach, FL and is now well known paddle boarding brand that is placed in my top 10 paddle board brand list. Yolo has a great variety of inflatable paddle boards, fishing SUP, surf SUP, racing SUP, all around SUP and more.

SUP ATX

As I am sure you can already tell, there are tons of brands of SUPs out there, but SUP ATX is determined to stand out above the rest. In fact, founder Nick Matzorkis produced a video that tells the story of how SUP ATX formed and the video was even shown on FoxSports, Fuel TV and has over 3 million online views.

SUP ATX is also credited for popularizing SUP surfing. SUP ATX not only has a deep passion for the sport, but also the board. You’ll find that their prices are very competitive without suffering quality.

They also make a huge variety of paddle boards, SUP paddles and accessories.

Naish SUP

Naish is a seriously contender in the professional paddle board market and competes with the top SUP brands out there. Naish is also a heavy player in the surfboard market and offers great solutions for both professionals and amateurs.

Naish has a complete line up of SUP boards including inflatable paddle boards, racing paddle boards, fitness SUPs, all around boards, and also women’s and junior sizes.

If you’re serious about paddle boarding and want something that will last, check out the Naish Lineup.

Riviera SUP

The Rambo family founded the Riviera paddlesurf company because of their love for paddle boards and surfing. Still to this day, the Rambo family funs the company and is heavily involved in the SUP lifestyle and community.

The Riviera brand has seen some great success and has made a great positive impact on the paddleboard community. Riviera’s product list expands to all types of SUP boards including inflatable paddle boards, racing, surfing, touring, all around, as well as a custom shop option.

They also carry SUP paddles and accessories. If you’re looking for a premium quality paddle board that is completely customizable, check out a Riviera SUP.

Common SUP Board Uses

For those of you who are new to the stand up paddle board world, you’ll want to make sure that you have somewhat of a grasp on what exactly you’d like to use your new stand up paddle board for. This detail will directly effect your decision on which type paddle board you should be looking for. Some common uses for stand up paddle boards are:

Leisure

If you’re looking for a leisure activity out on the water or want to go out with some friends and have a good time, the world of leisure paddle boarding is most likely right for you. All around paddle boards or hybrid SUPs are easy to ride and provide great stability on flat water but are still able to catch some waves.

SUP Yoga

That’s right, SUP yoga. If yoga wasn’t already tough enough, add a paddle board into the mix! But if you’re a yoga nut and want to take it to the next level, move your poses onto a SUP board and into the water! Using a paddle board causes you to use muscles that normally lay dormant creating a unique workout experience while increasing your balance skills. This makes SUP Yoga the perfect next step in your yoga adventure!

SUP Fishing

If you enjoy fishing and paddle boarding, why not combine the two? There are numerous advantage of using a paddle for fishing over the more obvious solutions like boats, canoes and kayaks. A fishing paddle board can be equipped with pole holders, a seat, coolers, dual paddle holders and more! So what are you waiting for? Grab a fishing pole, cooler and a SUP and go fishing!

SUP Surfing

SUP Surfing is a new modern take on the old sport of surfing and provides a perhaps easier and enjoyable experience for the inexperienced surfer. SUP surfing is the generally the same idea as surfing with the main difference being a paddle in your hand. There are plenty of great

SUP Racing

On your mark, get set, GO! Stand up paddle board racing is an ever growing sport around the globe, which is perfect for anyone who likes competition. SUP racing boards are generally long, narrow and pointed and provide that absolute fastest results!

Windsup

A Windsup is a hybrid between a windsurf board and a stand up paddle board. If you’re in the mood to SUP and there isn’t much wind, simply pull off the sail and start paddling. If you’re feeling extreme and the wind is hitting hard, throw on the sail and windsurf. This is a great option if you want the ability to do both paddle board and windsurf without carrying two boards.